Can Stress be Good for You?
, 4 min reading time
Some scientific researchers think so—but not in the way you might think!
Conventional wellness wisdom might persuade us to eliminate stress as much as possible. But psychologists say not so fast.
A study published this year in the Journal of Experimental Psychology showed that students taught to view stress as a coping tool performed better on math exams than students told to put stress out of their minds. The researchers behind the study say it is more evidence that stress can be the key, not the inhibitor, to success.
We are often told stress is a terrible thing, says the lead researcher Jeremy Jamieson, PhD, an associate professor of psychology and the principal investigator of the Social Stress Lab at the University of Rochester in New York.
And, while long-term or chronic stress that does not go away is terrible for our health, our body's natural stress response can be helpful when it comes to our health and well-being. "It's actually a resource," Dr Jamieson says. "It's something steeling your ability to succeed and perform."
Stress is the body's normal and natural reaction to changes in the environment it perceives as challenging. Our stress response triggers a series of physical and mental processes (your heart starts to beat faster, you feel more energized, and you become more alert, among other effects) to help your body meet the challenge it perceives (whether that is escaping a burning building or kicking yourself into high gear because you are running late for an important meeting).
And that's why stress can be a tool to help rather than hinder. All those changes boost your body's ability to respond.
"We're trying to get you out of the mindset about stress as this bad thing that's harming you," Jamieson says.
Instead, Jamieson's team is working on strategies to help people reframe how they perceive stress, so they can use it to face (and succeed in a meeting) the many challenges life throws at us rather than be paralyzed by it. In psychology, this term is "cognitive reframing," a well-studied technique.
How You Can View Stress as a Tool Rather Than a Detriment
If you are worried about an upcoming event at which you need to perform in some way — a presentation at work or a toast at a wedding — here is how you might reframe stress as something valuable.
1. Unlearn 'Stress Is Bad'
In Jamieson's upcoming research, he and a team will look at strategies geared at unlearning the "stress is bad" mindset. Remember the last time you got excited about something? That is your stress response at work. "People do not consider that many positive affective states, like excitement, are stress responses," he says.
2. Notice When Stress Shows Up
Be aware of what stresses you out and how it shows up for you, says Darlene Mininni, MD, MPH, the health psychologist who created the undergraduate well-being LifeSkills course at the University of California in Los Angeles. She says to pay attention to how your body responds to stress. (They can be emotional and physical.) "When stress shows up for me, I notice my jaw clenches. My heart is pounding. I am sweating," she says. That is the stress response at work.
3. Change the Message
Once you have recognized stress underway, remind yourself that this reaction is normal and may even be helpful. "Maybe this is a sign that your body is actually giving you energy," suggests Dr Mininni, an Everyday Health Wellness Advisory Board member.
4. Plan Ahead
It is helpful, also, to plan, Mininni says. While we never know what curveballs life will throw at us, many of us have a clever idea of the situations that tend to stress us out. Consider what you have said or tried in the past that has not worked and plan for how you will handle it differently in the future, Mininni suggests.
5. Practice Techniques to Keep Stress Under Control
Remember, stress becomes harmful when you see the stress response as more prominent than the actual stressor your body is responding to. Some people may find benefits in practising techniques to reduce the volume and intensity of their stress response, like deep breathing techniques, and then facing the challenge at hand, Mininni says. Find what works for you.
You can also use supplements to keep stress under control:
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- https://finlandiahealthstore.com/integrative-therapeutics-cortisol-manager-90tabs/
- https://finlandiahealthstore.com/platinum-naturals-easymulti-stress-men-120sg/
- https://finlandiahealthstore.com/platinum-naturals-easymulti-stress-women-120sg/